This invention relates to a camera which is obtained by adding an electronic image pickup device to a camera using a silver film, and which can pick up an electronic image using an image pickup element incorporated in the pickup device.
There are conventional single-lens reflex cameras for picking up, using an electronic image pickup element, an electronic image corresponding to part of light or the entire light reflected from a movable mirror, and displaying its output on a monitor device.
Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 61-215538 discloses one of the single-lens reflex cameras. In this camera, for example, a half mirror is provided across the optical path of a finder thereof for guiding part of light reflected from a to-be-photographed object, to a CCD as the electronic image pickup element, where the guided light is displayed. Further, image pickup data is sequentially stored in a memory incorporated in the camera, and the contents of photography can be easily and promptly confirmed without the DPE process of a silver film. Moreover, in the camera, exposure of the silver film and image pickup by the image pickup element are simultaneously performed by operating a release button.
However, the conventional cameras are disadvantageous in that even when the user wishes to use the camera just as an image memorandum, exposure of the film is simultaneously performed, thereby wasting the film. At this time, extra power is inevitably used for the unnecessary film exposure.